My grandmother was a kindergartener in the 1890's. I have
several of the gifts from that era. Today I have dicovered the
movement is alive and well in this country again. How exciting! I have been doing the Tomatis remedial work for 35+ years, www.tomatis.com but would like to be a part of changing the present early education system. Elizabeth Verrill everrill@rcn.com

How Friedrich Froebel used Mathematics to Invent Kindergarten and Where His Pupils are Today - is the title of a presentation by Professor Judy Barford

I am interested in the Froebel concept of education. I am now a grandmother had I known more when my son was small, I would have investigated more at that time. What I could not offer my son, I would like to offer my grandson!

I am head of Balham Nursery School in South London. Our work today is still strongly influenced by the Froebelian idea of nature and unity ie our Garden is fundamental to all areas of the curriculum. We are quite close to Froebel College at Roehampton Institute - home of some examples of Froebel's Gifts and Occupations and Froebel Research Committee. Would be good to have more info about Froebel's influence on nursery education today - Montessori seems to be the best known pioneer!

In doing some web research on Froebel after seeing that great book by Norman Brosterman, I came across your site. Wow. I am putting together a small piece on Froebel on my education website and I'd like to point people to Froebel Web - it is such a great resource. Inventing Kindergarten blew me away. Froebel's work was so visionary. And as you or someone in your site mentions, his approach is very relevant today with its emphasis on play, sensitivity to nature, etc. I had no idea of his influence on people like Wright, and other artists. That's a great story about Wright's mother buying the blocks.

I was just reading about Fröbel and the history of
kindergarten in Finland. I'm currently teaching in a school for special children and thought that it would be interesting to make the Fröbel blocks in woodcraft classes. I've heard a lot about those blocks but never had a opportunity to play with them. That's a shame but now when I have graduated both preschool teacher and masters programeme in Education I do have an opportunity to do what ever interests me. Mikko Tiihonen mikko_tiihonen@hotmail.com